Internal-combustion engine.



J. KOENIG.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

1, 1 1 1,841 Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

3 SHEETS -SHEBT l.

www;

J. KOENIG.

INTERNAL COMBUSTON ENGINE.

APPLwATIoN FILED MARA?, w11.

1,1 1 1,841 Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 v www l [e] aff/? J. KOENIG.

INTERNAL GOMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED 111111.11911.

1, 1 1 1 ,84:1 Patented Sept. .29, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

`UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH KOENIG, OF TWO RIVERS, WISCONSIN.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

To all lwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrn KOENIG, a citizen of the United States, andresident of Two Rivers, in the county of Manitowoc and State oflVisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inInternal-Combustion Engines; and I do hereby declare thatthe followingis a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention refers to internal combustion engines of the compressiontype, its object being to provide simple, economical and efficienttwo-cycle engines of the above character, whereby a material reductionoffuel consumption in proportion to its developed H. P. will result. Theabove result is preferably accomplished through the employment ofsuitably cooled compressors one of which is provided for each cylinderof the engine. The head of each compressor and an engine' cylinder areconnected by a thermal chamberthrough which alternate charges ofcompressed air and spent4 gases are forced by the respective pistons,the compressor being provided with a valvecontrolled fluid-intake portand a discharge port under time control that communicates with thethermal chamber, which chamber is also 'provided with a valve controlledeX- haust port for the spent gases that are discharged from the enginecylinder through the thermal chamber upon the exhaust stroke of saidengine piston. Thus alternate charges cf cold compressed air and hotspent gases are passed in reverse directions through the thermalchamber, each charge of cold air being heated and eX- panded byabsorbing the heat which] is given off from the thermal chamber, whichheat was previously absorbed by said chamber from a preceding volume ofhet gases, the same being exhausted through said chamber from the enginecylinder.

While I have' illustrated a set of reciprocative valves for controllingdischarge of air from the compressor and also for exhausting spent gasesfrom the thermal chamber, it should be understood that rotary valvesmaybe substituted therefor wit-hout departing from the spirit of myinvention.

Thus the essential features of my invention are to admit air or amixture of air and gas into a cold compressor, compress the same in saidcold cylinder whereby an initial maximum pressureis obtained with the'least expenditureof power due to the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led March 7, 191,1.

Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

serial No. 612,875.

tendency of the cold cylinder to neutralize heat. that is generated bycompression resulting in back pressure due to expansion and thenecessary added power to overcome such back pressure.

The second necessary step is to release the cold compressed Huid fromthe compression cylinder by suitable valve mechanism and thereafterforce the compressed air" through the thermal chamber at the finish ofthe stroke of the compressor cylinder, the air being heated and confinedwithin the chamber and between the engine cylinder head and its piston.Further compression will result incidental to the air being heated. asit is shifted to the hot explosive end of the engine cylinder, thepiston-of which, starting onrits outward stroke, receives the force ofvthe explosion of the air or Huid which has either received a charge ofoil or gas before entering the compression cylinder or after it isshifted to the explosive head of the engine cylinder. The efficiency ofthe engine will thereby be increased due to the maximum compression offiuid.

lith the above objects in view my invention consists in what ishereinshown, described and claimed.

In the drawings Figure l represents a diagram of an engine embodying thefeatures of my invention, for clearness and simplicity in illustrationan end view of the crank-shaft being shown in place of a longitudinalview ofthe same, which it is understood would be correct relative to theposition of the cylinders. Asecondy posiytion of the pistons beingillustrated i'n dotted lines, 'together with the relative position ofthe valves; Fig. 2, a similar diagram illustrating a third position ofthe mechanism in full and a fourth position in dotted lines, the fourpositions of the two diagrams showing a complete cycle of the engine,and Fig. 3, a side elevation with parts in section of a conventionalengine embodying the features of my invention.

Referring by characters to the drawings, 5 represents a crank-shaftprovided with a crank v5- that is connected by a link 6 to an enginepiston 7, which piston is reciprocatively mounted in, a cylinder 8, thehead 9. of the same being equipped with a sparkplug 10. The 'abovedescribed mechanism forms no part of my invention, being of standard tpe.

Spaced rom the engine cylinder and parare adapted to nest within thethimblcs 14 allel thereto is a compression cylinder lll provided with areciprocative piston 12 that is connected by a link 13 to a second crank5" of the engine crank-shaft 5. These cranks are disposed upon differentradial lines relative to the crank-shaft axis and within 4:50 of eachother, the engine crank 5a being in advance of the compressor 'crankrelative to the direction of rotation as indicatedlby the arrow. Thusthe engine piston is, as shown, approximately one-quarter of its strokein advance of the compressor piston.

The head of the compressor cylinder is provided witha series ofradiation thimbles 14 which are incased in a cooling jacket 15 that isprovided with water circulating pipes 16, 16a, whereby the end of thecylinder is kept at a low temperature, the specific cooling mediumillustrated, however, forms no part of my invention as any form ofcooling apparatus may be employed as a substitute therefor.Thecompressor piston head is provided with a series of spurs leta thatwhen the piston has reached the limit of its compression stroke, thusdisplacing all fluid that may be contained in the head of the cylinder,the thimbles and spurs serving to increase the cooling areas of thesemembers.

The head of the compression cylinder is provided with a Huid intake port17 under control of a puppet valve 18 and a discharge port 10 that iscontrolled by a slide valve 20, the stem Q1 of which in this instance isshown provided with a spring 22 that serves to hold the valve open inopposition to a cam-wheel A that is engaged by an antifriction rollercarrier bythe valve stem, said cam being secured to the crank-shaft. Itshould be understood that valve 20 is slidably mounted in a housing Q3that extends from the compression cylinder. A thermal chamber 24connects the heads of the com pression and engine cylinders, the ends ofthersame being in communication with said engine cylinder and dischargeport 19 of the. Compressor cylinder.

For -clearness in illustration the thermal chamber is provided with anintermediate vertical wall that extends from its bottom te a pointslightly below the top, whereby a passage is formed therebetween. Thespace upon oppositesides of the partition 24 -is 1 provided with thermalbodies or plates Q5. It should be understood that the construcl tion andarrangement of the thermal chamoer may be varied indefinitely withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention, the essential feature beingthe provision whereby ample heat-absorbing surface is had. T he thermalchamber Iis provided with an exhaust port 26 that is disposed at the airintake end of said chamber or in juxtaposivtion to the compressorcylinder, which port is controlled by a slide valve 20a that, in this isshown connected to or forming a part of the valve 20 that controls thecompressor discharge port. An oil or gas sup ply pipe 27 is connected tothat end of the thermal chamber which communicates with the enginecylinder head, whereby air admitted from the compressor to the enginecylinder is suitably carbureted for fuel purposes, it being apparent,however, that, in some instances, air mixed with oil or gas may beadmitted to the compressor cylin er through the intake port.

Referring to the-position of the pistons in full lines F ig. 1, thecompressor piston has completed three-quarters of its compressionstroke, while the engine piston has completed its exhaust stroke and allof the valve ports are closed with the exception of the compressordischarge port which opened just as the compressor piston reached theposition shown. A partial rotation of the crank-shaft in the directionindicated by the arrow sufiicient to bring the compressor crank 5a toits highest point will cause the air which has been previouslycompressed between the head of the compressor cylinder and its piston tobe entirely expelled therefrom. The cold air thus expelled passesthrough the thermal chamber and between its plates, being shifted to thehead end of the engine cylinder. The air is thereby heated to thedesired temperature by ahsorbing heat radiating from the thermal chamberplates and incidental to the shift of air the engine piston completesone-quarter of its downward stroke. Thus the heated air receives nomechanical compression in its shift from one cylinder to the other, butits expansive force is increased due to the heat. Simultaneous with thecompletion of the movements of the pistons just described the dischargeport 19 is closed by valve Q0 due to the roller of the valve stem 21being lifted by the high face a of cam-wheel A. The heated air alsoreceives a charge of oil or gas through supply pipe and coincident toclosing of the compressor discharge port the fuel mixture is exploded bythe closure instance.

of an electric circuit B which is established through a pin o of thecam-wheel that engages a contact plate b of the battery circuit B, thesaid circuit being grounded' in any suitable manner through the cam.

As shown in the diagram in Fig. 2, the engine piston completes ritsworking stroke and assumes the position shown in full lines in saidfigure. ln this position the engine crank 5 is at its low point and thecompression cylinder is still upon its suction stroke, puppet valve 1Sbeing open and the discharge port 19 closed. haast port 26, however, isnow open due to engagement of the valve stem roller with a second highface a of the cam. This further upward movement of valve 2O ,hav-

The ex- CII ing no effect upon the discharge port of the' compressor dueto a lap of said valve, there being also sufficient lap upon valve 20awhich controls the exhaust port to prevent same from opening when thefirst movement of valve 20 to close the discharge port takes place.

The fourth position, as illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 2', showsthe engine cylinder upon its exhaust stroke having traveled one-quarterof the movement, the compression cylinder at this time having completedits downward or suction stroke.

The compression piston now starts upon its compression stroke, theintake port being closed by the puppet valve and the engine cylinderthus completes its exhaust stroke and the cylinders again assume theposition shown in Fig. l, the spent gases from the engine cylinderhaving all been expelled therefrom through the thermal chamber toatmosphere from the exhaust port 26, which exhaust port is then closedwhile the discharge port of the compressor is open incidental to a dropof the valve stem roller from the highest surface of the cam to itslowest surface, as shown in full lines in lF ig. l. Thus it will be seenthat the desired amount of heat will be absorbed by the plates withinthe thermal chamber duel to travel of the hot spent ases thereover uponthe exhaust stroke o the engine piston, the surface area of these platesbeing suiicient to absorb the proper amount of heat.

In practice it is preferable, as shown, to provide a compressioncylinder of less area than that of the engine cylinder for purposesofeconomy, the area being thus reduced the power required for compressingthe charge is relatively less. Thus a small charge under high pressurein said compression cylinder is of sufficient volume to supply a fullcharge to the engine cylinder of greater area.v

In connection with the fore oing description the following essentiafeatures should be borne in mind: First; that the working cylinder ismaintained at a high temperature relative to the com ression cylinder,this being accomplished y' providing the latter with a cooling jacketLof greater area relative to the surface area of the cylinder to whichthe jacket is directly applied. Second; that the cooled air or fuelcharge admitted to the compression cylinder is reduced in its volume toapproximately one quarter of its original volume by compressionincidental to three quarters of the piston stroke, the cylinder valvesbeing closed during this compression operation. Third; that the lastquarter of the piston stroke is utilized to shift the cold compressedair through a valve-controlled port and thermal cham- .gine cylinder,the chamber being a suitably arranged valve-controlledexhaust port fromthe .engine cylinder and chamber by the full exhaust stroke of theengine piston, whereby the spent gases are not commingled with thesucceeding cold air charge thatis being compressed in a. separatecylinder simultaneously with the exhaust of said gases, which gases heatthe chamber in their passage to exhaust by traveling oversuitablyarranged thermal bodies in said chamber. Sixth; that the storedheat 'is taken up by the next charge of cold fluid to raise itstemperature to the desired degree preparatoryl to its being explodedover the head `of the engine piston.

I claim:

1. In an internal combustion engine having a piston, and a cylindertherefor; the

combination of a fluid compression cylinder having a discharge port, anda valve-controlled intake port, a piston mounted in the compressioncylinder, a thermal chamber in communication with the compressioncylinder discharge port and head end of said enprovided with an exhaustport in juxtaposltion to the compression cylinder, valves for saidcompression cylinder discharge port and chamber exhaust port, andpositive means for actuating the valves successively, whereby thecompression cylinder discharge port is held closed during the major partof the working stroke of its piston and the chamber exhaust port is openduring the exhaust stroke of the working piston.

2. In an internal combustion engine having a piston, and a cylindertherefor; the combination of a fluid compression cylinder having adischarge port, and a valve-controlle intake port, a piston mounted inthe compression cylinder, a thermal chamber in communication with thecompression cylinder discharge port and head end of said enginecylinder, the chamber being provided with an exhaust port injuxtaposition to the compression cylinder, a plurality of thermal plateslocated in the chamber in s aced relation to each other, valves for saicompression cylinder discharge port and chamber exhaust port, andpositive means for actuat-.

ling the valves successively, whereby the conl-` pression cylnderdischarge port is held i closed during the major part of the workingstroke of its iston and the chamber exhaust port is open uring theexhaust stroke of the working piston.

3. an internal combustion engine having a piston, and a cylindertherefor; the combination of a iuidcompression cylinder having adischarge port, and a valve-corr trolled intake port, a piston mountedin the compression cylinder, a thermal chamber in communication with-the compression cylinder discharge port and head end of said enginecylinder, the chamber being provided with an exhaust port injuxtaposition to the compression cylinder, valves for said compressioncylinder discharge port and chamber exhaust port, and a single positivemeans for successively actuating both valves, whereby the compressioncylinder discharge port isheld closed during the major part of theworking stroke of its piston and the chamber exhaust port is open duringthe exhaust stroke 0f the Work-ing piston.

4. In an internal combustion engine having a piston, and a cylindertherefor; the combination of a fluid compression cylinder havin adischarge port, and a valve-controlle intake port, a piston mounted inthe compression cylinder, a thermal chamber in communication with thecompression cylinder discharge port and head end of said enginecylinder, the chamber being provided with an exhaust port that isdisposed adj acent to the air intake end of said chamber, valves forsaid compression cylinder discharge port and chamber exhaust port, and

positive means for actuating the valves successively, whereby thecompression cylinder discharge port is held closed during the major partof the working stroke of its piston and the chamber exhaust port is openduring the exhaust stroke of the working piston.

5. An internal combustion engine comprising a working cylinder, a pistontherefor, a fluid cooled fluid compression cylinder having a dischargeport, and a valve-controlled intake port, the compression cylinder beingof lesser area than the engine cylinder, a piston for the compressioncylinder, a thermal chamber in communication with the compressioncylinder discharge port and head end of said engine cylinder, thechainber being provided with an exhaust port disposed adjacent to itsair intake end, valves for said compression cylinder dis*-b charge portand chamber exhaust port, and positive means for actuating the valveswhereby the compression cylinder discharge port is held closed durin themajor portion of the working stroke o its piston, and the chamberexhaust port is opened during the exhaust stroke of the working piston.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand atTwo Rivers in the county of Manitowoc and State of Wisconsin in thepresence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH KOENIG.

Witnesses:

G. A.. Munn, MARCELLA J. GAFINEY.

Genies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each,- by addressingthe Commissioner of Iatents,

i Washington, D. C

